Star wars: Unsung Heroes, (open to one female)

Historians note: This story takes place in the star wars universe, during the clone wars. Before the events of revenge of the Sith

Moderator’s note: This thread is closed to the gladiator and Ssunstorm, please do not post unless expressly permitted by the authers.
enjoy reading

The Gladiator

Characters

Name: n/a
Designation: cc-92/466
Rank: Captain
Division: 273rd Grand Army of the Republic
Commanding Officer: General O’Lenna
Race: Human clone
Occupation: Soldier for the GAR
CC-92/466, commonly known as Captain Ninntoo, was born and trained as an ARC (Advanced reconnaissance commando) trooper, making him one of the best of the best of the clone troops. Promoted recently Ninntoo has found himself transferred from General Skywalker’s 501st battalion to leading his own company in the 273rd devision, under the Female Jedi knight, and General, Raven O’Lenna. He does not know how to react to her, not sure how she will treat he and his men. Will she show the same dedication to her men as Anakin Skywalker?

Name: Raven O’Lenna
Occupation: Jedi
Rank: Jedi Knight/General for the Grand Army of the Republic
Race: Human Female
At the young age of 21, Raven has been commanded to take a Padawan by the Council. The decision, she knows, came out of necessity rather than from her
readiness to pass on her knowledge. A little overwhelmed, but trying to hide any weakness, she's acting as mature as she can manage to gain her new pupil's
respect. She is kind, open minded and even a little untraditional when it comes to the Jedi Code.*


Name: Max Sallen
Occupation: Jedi apprentice
Master: Jedi Knight Raven O’Lenna
At age 18, Max has been Master O’Lenna’s learner for close to 2 months. His previous master was killed in a sepretist attack less than a year previously. Unlike Anakin Skywalker only a few years his senior, Max is no Jedi Knight yet, and is a bit Naïve. He truly does not understand how the world works, and would prefer to spend his days fantasizing about his beautiful Jedi Master.

IC.

… The objective had been simple, land the division on the ground, neutralize the communications station, and get out. Nothing is ever easy, and soldiers pay for the mistakes of the intelligence department. These were the thoughts of CC-92/466, commonly known as Ninntoo, as he stood behind a makeshift barricade and watched the wall of battle droids marching his way. He coolly reloaded, his helmet hiding any discomfort or worry for his men that might have shown on his face.
“No hope of extraction any time soon Captain.” The voice of one of his subordinates sounded in Ninntoo’s helmet and he merely clicked a response. No extraction meant more of his men would die. Possibly all of them if General O’Lenna decided to write them off. He just did not know how she would respond and he did not trust her yet. She had just recently been assigned to the 273rd division therefore he did not know her style of command.. He knew how Skywalker would have handled the situation, he would not have left a single soldier behind if there was any way he could extract them without more heavy losses. However there were many other Jedi, who were less willing to put their lives on the line for the clones, spending their lives easily and cheaply. He just did not know what choice O'Lenna would make.
“Then stand firm, and make me proud, today is a good day to die.” Ninntoo replied to his men who all straightened. They knew their duty, and would fight to the death if need be, fight for each other, if for no one else.


Max Sallen stood slightly behind his Master, the beautiful darkhaired beauty Raven O’Lenna, who despite being in the midst of a battle still looked attractive. He waited for her orders, for her decisions.
“It doesn’t look good General, there are vulcher droids all over the airspace, blocking our attempts to retrieve the elements of the 273rd down there.” The voice of the clone commander was indistinguishable from any others, and his helmets speakers further added to this idea that he was just another clone. “What are your orders Ma’am?” Max waited and watched, wondering how his new Master would handle the situation, would she write the soldiers off, of which, life scans only showed 18 troopers left out of the 40+ soldiers dropped, or would she risk more lives to try to save them? To be honest, he was not sure what her choice would be.

The vulcher fighters circled over the battle ground.
"Captain," One of Ninntoo's troups cried out.
"I see them, our luck just got worse boys.." Ninntoo said, his voice not betraying his growing concern. He attached an anti-armer attachment to his DC15 riffle, and prepared to do his best to protect his men from the fighters.
"We're sitting ducks here." one trooper complained. Ninntoo didn't bother to tell him to cut the chatter, they were all thinking it.
"And dinner is super fried clone trooper." Another soldier wisecracked. Ninntoo realized that it was nerves talking, brovado and the like, a way to keep morale up. The troopers reloaded, and crouched down beginning to fire again.
"Are communications still being jammed?" Ninntoo asked aloud.
"Afirmative sir, we cannot raise the cruiser or the gunship that General O'Lenna was supposed to be on." his communications expert responded instantly.
"Alright, guess its just us boys, keep your heads down and your aim straight." he said, beginning to spray blaster fire at the advancing droids.

Max Watched Master O'Lenna as she evaluated the situation. He knew she was considering her options, trying to make the tough decision, planning. However he knew they did not have the time. "Master, what is your decision?" He asked speaking out of turn, his nerves and anxiety pushing him to press her. He tried to reach for the calm a Jedi should have, but couldn't find it, it would not come. "Master?" he asked stepping forward laying a hand on her shoulder, shaking her just a little.

Had it only been so recently she'd become a Jedi Knight? And here she was on the battlefield doing her part to defeat the separatist and bring peace to the Republic once more. A very un-Jedi like thought entered her mind. The outcome of this battle, good or bad, meant little in the long history of the galaxy. Jedi had been fighting long before her birth, and more would take up the torch long after she perished. There were always more battles, another dispute to settle. Peace was a never ending endeavor and always in need of preservation. The war would end one day... just so another could begin.

A violent wind blasted through the valley and tore at her hair, tugging it into something wild. A hand smudged with dirt from battle came up to grasp the midnight mass of hair, holding it out of her slender, tanned face so she could see her Padawan while she spoke.

His hand had come to rest on her shoulder and his eyes were anxious as he waited for her command. "This is a massacre," she began in a voice that was both soothingly feminine and strong for someone so petite of frame. "We've gone as far as we can. I'm ordering a retreat. It's time to get the men out."

Unlike many, she regarded all life as prescious. Even artificial intelligences like droids, which were largely ignored and condemned by the masses. Though the troopers were clones, they lived and breathed. They bled and died. They had a right to live, even if it was only to fight another day.


"No living soul will be abandoned," she told Max and the Clone Trooper commander with conviction.

"Yes Master." Max said smiling at the news. The clone commander merely saluted and moved off to begin formulating a retreat plan.

"CC-92/466, do you coppy." Ninntoo was startled out of his fog of sempty his rifle's clip into droid carcuses, reload, repeat by the sound of his helmet mike coming to life. He had set the unit to scan frequencies to look for an unjammed frequency, and apparently his helmet had found one.
"Afirmative."
"Prepare for extraction, the mission is scrubbed, forget the data units, get out while you can."
"Say again control, we're sort of pinned down here, we haven't moved any closer to that bunker in half a standard hour." There was a long pregnant pause and then control came back on line.
"That's afirmative Captain Ninntoo." another voice this time, "The General is aware of your situation, and has ordered her gun ship to extract you."
"Then she better have a damned good pilot, gunner, or both, because there are vulchers crawling all over this area."
"afirmative Captain stand by."
' as if I could do anything else' Ninntoo thought to himself as he told his soldiers to prepare for extraction. They where about to try to take out the vulchers themselves, when there was a familiar roaring noise. The General's gunship roared overhead, with its escort of 6 fighters, making quick work of the vulchers in the immediate area. The gunship came to a hover about 5 meters off the permicrete and its troop hatches slid open, "Grapnals men, lets mount Up." Ninntoo called to his men as they broke cover sprinting forward firing their grapnals up to the ship asending quickly, trying to not get shot. As his men started to board, Ninntoo saw two forms leap out of the ship, one, a woman landed gracefully, the male landed awkwardly and fell heavily, his light saber flying from his hand. Ninntoo made his decision and rushed in that direction, covering the youth as he regained his footing, and tried to help his master, who had to be the general cover the clones retreat by blocking incoming fire.
Ninntoo was the last clone up onto the gunship, and was directed to the cockpit, where he would meet the General upon her return. He did not dare take off his helmet yet not even to wipe his face from the sweat caused through strain.

The gunship that Raven and Max rode quickly soared over the battlefield. The pair held themselves securely in the vessel by the hand grips along the frame of the open hatch. The sky lit up around them as the gunner quickly destroyed the enemy ships. Plumes of orange fire burst and became acrid black smoke that stung her eyes and burned the sensitive skin within her nostrils. A low hum had taken resident in her ears from all the recent explosions. She knew it would be another 24 hours at least until she would be able to hear everything clearly again.

She closed her eyes and slowly began to let her surroundings fade away as she let the Force flow into her. The invisible energy warmed her from within, leaving her content, as if she had just been tenderly caressed by a long time friend. Peace came to flood out her worry. The mission had failed. It was not her fault, nor did blame lie with the troops under her command. They had been sent on a mission with improper intel, leaving them ill equipped to fight the opposition. Though someone would have to take the fall eventually. She would be the one who would need to debrief the council. It would be she who would take the responsibility.

The ship maneuvered itself as closely as it could to the barricade protecting the surviving clones. It wasn't as close as she would have liked, but a safe distance meant an escape. Any closer would endanger the craft and leave them stranded and at the mercy of the enemy. She leapt from the open hatch and landed upon her feet, softening the landing with the Force to save her feet from stinging upon impact with the ground. Max, still not adept or as agile as she was, landed but buckled and was flat on the permicrete beside her. Without thinking, she reached out with a hand and his lightsaber flew to her grasp. She handed it to him while helping him to his feet.

As the armored soldiers began to evacuate their cover shelter, a new wave of bright lasers criss-crossed through the air. Quicker than was humanly possible without a Jedi's trained reflexes, Raven's lightsaber was free from her belt and alive in her hands to cast a pulsing golden glow. The technique of blocking lasers was a skill every Jedi learned and needed to master. Even more helpful was the ability to send the harmful laser ricocheting back at the sender. A triumphant smile spread her lips as a bolt went back to battle-droid that had fired it. It crumbled to the ground, smoke curling from a hole in it's outer casing.

A trooper fell in line beside her and Max, offering cover fire to aid them all in retreat. She kept alert, allowing the Force to warn her of incoming danger but a feeling burst suddenly and she turned just as one of the clones was struck. He landed near her feet. She knelt to check his vital signs and he groaned in response. A quick look around told her that she and Max were the only ones left.

"Help me get him on board," she ordered, suddenly ducking to avoid a well aimed shot at her head. "Lift him with the Force," she added quickly. "I'll help guide you."

Max did as ordered levitating the proan soldier, a casualty he considered his fault due to his ineptitude, into the air, guiding his body up into the troop bay where waiting soldiers took the body from his grip and passed the body off, "General Hurry," a clone shouted even as the gun ship began to edge its way away preparatory to blasting off. Sam took a running leep, and managed to grasp one of the cables dangling from the ship, asending rapidly, "Master watch out!" he yelled reaching out with the force yanking her into the air blindly as a morter round slammed to ground right where his master had been standing. With his clumsy control he pulled her to him, catching her in his arms, setting her on his feet, blushing inspite of the circumstance, to feel her breasts pressed to him for that brief instant. "Forgive me master, but I thought I should do something." he stammered.

"He's got her, blast out." Ninntoo ordered the pilot who immediately did so putting the ship on its end and blasting towards space.

Raven cried out in shock as she was jerked off of her feet and went flying through the air. She slammed into her apprentice. She blinked in surprise and was still for a moment against him. She looked back to see the blackened ground where she had been standing become smaller as the ship rose high. She looked back at him and cracked a smile. "Good work." She didn't pull away immediately and clasped his upper arm in gratitude. Part of her enjoyed the warmth of his body against hers. Intimate contact was disallowed and even accidental brushing was something she welcome, just to feel like she was still human and not cold.

Her brain took over once more and she stepped back. She offered him a wink. "We may just get you knighted yet."

Though they had only known one another for a short time, she felt comfortable to lightly joke with him. So many Jedi were stoic, but she became tired of that attitude real fast. Life should be enjoyed a little, even if you were a soldier destined to protect it.

She looked around for the wounded soldier. "Are they treating him?"

Max blushed a bit at the compliment and closeness of his master. "With you're help I'm sure I'll be knighted soon." he said awkwardly at her joking. When she snapped to business he shook himself, "They passed him that way, I'll go check on him Master, you should probably go talk to captain Nintoo, and assess our situation." he said, not trying to correct her, just trying to remind her she had to handle the bigger picture, and he was willing to do the little things while she did this. He was in no way trying to be Insubordinant, just helpful.

Ninntoo watched the battle unfolding, "Swing left, go right for the center of those vulchers, its better them than that sep cruiser." he recommended to the pilot, already comming the fighters to tell them the plans. Captain Ninntoo had taken charge in the General's brief absense from the flight deck.

Raven nodded at her apprentice. She wanted nothing more than to check on the wounded soldier, but there were other responsibilities at the moment. Max and the other men were proficient enough in field medicine to keep the man alive until he could be handed over to the real doctors.

She walked briskly towards the front of the ship to see the battle field through the viewport. "Captain, what are our losses?"

Ninntoo spoke, "The 273rd took 60% losses." he said, "We have lost 2 of the fighters you brought in with you to rescue us. All ground armor was lost, and only one other gun ship of the 4 landed, survives." he said, stating the terrible news calmly not allowing emotion into his voice. He turned his helmeted head to regard her, "I ordered us to leave this way." he said tracing their path on the ship's Head's up display.

Her green eyes followed the path that Ninntoo's finger made. She nodded, silent at first as she once again looked back over the battle. She tried to show no emotion, but it was obvious she was tense and unhappy about what they'd experienced. Had she not spent many meditation sessions learning to control her anger, she might have shown it like a normal being. But with practice she could keep it under control like most Jedi.

"We barely made a dent in their forces," she observed in a voice that was calmer than how she truly felt inside. Her melancholy was blatantly obvious however. She realized her words were useless after speaking them. Everyone could see the amount of the enemy left while they fled for safety.

Raven hoped Ninntoo didn't think badly of her already. She felt suddenly foolish but tried to keep her face passive. She was so young, and probably not ready for this command, but not for her lack of trying. Strategy and planning had been her weak points, but following orders and carrying them out courageously were her strengths.

Nonntoo said nothing at first just nodded at her words, "No Ma'am, their forces have only lost an estimated 25% casualty rate, even though we took out more of them than they did of us." The numbers presented meant that each trooper lost had acounted for easily 10 enemy for each one lost, but, this was nothing to the sepratist forces.
Max moved into the entrance to the cock pit, "They have him settled Master," he said regarding her as he spoke. He then made the stupid mistake of speaking again, "are you alright master?" he asked, when he should have done so in private, especially if they were not equals.

Their forces had done well for what they could accomplish, she realized. But they had been overly outnumbered. Staying would have killed every last one of them. She hoped all of this death would be worth it in the end.

Raven turned to her agknowledge her apprentice. She was happy to hear the wounded soldier was doing well. "He should be good long enough for us to get back. Then he can have the medical attention he deserves." His concern humbled her, and she smiled softly. She reguarded him more carefully, her kind eyes seeming to find something brand new about him.

She looked to the clone Captain and softly said, "Excuse me a moment."

She put a palm on Max's upper back as she gently guided him a few steps away from Nintoo. "I'll be alright."

She could sense his discomfort about having spoken. She wanted to reassure him. She was probably approaching the Master and Apprentice relationship to casually, but she wasn't comfortable with formality. Though she was trying her best to do the right thing. Secretly she wondered if she should stop trying to be the ideal Master and just be herself.

"These are trying times. I seem to be surviving," she very gently joked after her serious opening. "What about you? That was quite a landing." She made sure he knew she wasn't critisizing him, but was honestly concerned.

Max blushed at her words, "I admit my thoughts were not wholey on the situation as they should have been Master, Forgive me." he said blushing just a bit. He fidgetted, "Thank you for recovering my light saber, I did not mean to lose it." he said humbly. The ship rocked hard, throwing max into Raven, his body pressed the length of hers pinning her to the wall as the g forces shoved his chest into her smaller form, her breasts on his chest.

With a surprised sound, Raven lost her balance and fell back, her backside slamming into the hull with a thud out of proportion with her petite size. But when Max's weight was added into the equation, the pair of them made quite a noise. Normally a ship being rocked so harshly was cause for alarm. It could have been struck by enemy fire, space debris, or perhaps something exploded. However her thoughts were not on the ship's integrity.

Instead, all she could seem to focus on was the heat of Max's body pressing hers against the hull. She couldn't fight the heat that reddened her cheeks because his chest was flattening her breasts. She immediately tried to repress the redness in her cheeks. She had never had the chance for intimacy in her life while training, so she felt nervous immediately by the contact. Part of her, however, wished intimacy was something she could peruse, but her mind was on her duty... And the war was her priority.

She smiled nervously as the ship stilled and became level again.

Max pushed away from her appologising, "Forgive me master," he said. Captain Ninntoo's voice came over the speakers, "All hands brace for impact." hehis voice had no sooner spoken, when the ship was jarred again, Max getting thrown against Raven once again. A pannel broke free and slammed Max in the back, and for a moment he was glad he had taken the hit rather than Raven, and then the pain hit him, and he gritted his teeth and swore with the blow. Then someone was there strong hands pulling max off Raven, who was now lying atop her on the deck. A trooper helped support max, and Ninntoo offered a hand to Raven. "Master O'Lenna, are you alright?" he asked helping pull her to her feet, sheltering her body as more debree fleew through the air as the ship rocked.

Dizzily, Raven reached a hand out to take Ninntoo's offered assistance. Her other palm went to her head, which was throbbing from striking the metal floor. "Just a bump, Captain," she said a little distantly in reply to his gruff query. "Enemy fire?" She asked.

Her eyes went to Max, silently asking him if he was alright. She rubbed her ribcage, knowing a few tiny bruises would form from having been slammed by her apprentice's weight.

"I think... I think I need to sit down..." She said suddenly, but a little slower than was normal. The Jedi woman swayed on her feet, but was still being held strongly by Captain Ninntoo. With each beat of her heart, pain throbbed in her skull. The cabin around her spun even though the ship was currently on a steady course.

The captain lead her to a seat, to the aft of the flight deck and helped her sit, "You took a pretty hard hit ma'am." He said, and with that turned to see to the ships status. Max was similarly lead to a seat near his master, rubbing his back, the soldier was talking to the young Jedi apprentice as they came into Raven's hearing range, "Just a few scratches, you'll be able to tell everyone a woman gave them to you, during the height of passion." with that the soldier, one of the faceless clone troopers slapped Max on the shoulder and walked away. "Are you alright Master?" Max asked trying not to scratch the hastily applied bandage by the afficient soldier, to keep the scrape from the plate that had gouged through his robes and scratched his back, from getting infected. "Now I'm going to have to mend these robes." he grumbled under his breath. The ship continued to climb and manuver, and then the ships guns opened up the vibrations through the hull familiar, the cadence somehow soothing, it meant they were not helpless yet.

Raven was suddenly having a terrible time keeping her head steady. It felt overly heavy and began tilting to the side before she tried moving it back. She heard Max mumble something about his robes as she stood. She could barely stand. She wobbled and fell forward, this time into Max. Her hands grasps his robes before she muttered something unintelligible before her eyes closed and she passed out. Her Face fell forward against his chest, her frame going slack.

Max caught her, helping to lower her back into her chair.

Captain Ninntoo saw Master O'Lenna pass out and nodded, "Is she alright Sallen?" he asked, when max nodded, he went back to studdying the HUD. "All Hands brace for impact." he called as another laser blast slammed into the ships armor. "We're almost in the clear." he added, watching how the fight was unfolding.

Raven came to, strands of dark, curly hair hanging in her eyes. She lifted a hand to brush them away. Her head throbbed very painfully and caused her to groan. She'd been out only a few minutes, but she had no idea of knowing that. All she was aware of was the ship rocking violently once more. Max was kneeling near her chair and when she rocked with the ship, he braced against her seat, helping to keep her from flying. She wouldn't have been able to steady herself in her dazed state. One of her hands held onto his arms for support.

Hey hun, wanna call it quits?

(Sorry, RL just really hit me hard)

The ship continued to rock and move as they fought through the sepratist ships. Max continued to brace his master. "Are you Alright Master?" he asked leaning close to speak into her ear.
Ninntoo stood like a wall, not moving not showing any emotion, "Hold Steady." he said softly to the Pilot, his hand on the man's chair.